


From Death Your Numberless Infinities

by reaperlight



Category: Death Note & Related Fandoms, Death Note (Anime & Manga), Death Note (Live Action TV)
Genre: Angst, Drama, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multiverse, One Shot, Pining, Short One Shot, Suicide mention, dramaverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25197703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reaperlight/pseuds/reaperlight
Summary: Ryuk seeks him out. Again and again.
Relationships: Ryuk/Yagami Light
Comments: 10
Kudos: 172





	From Death Your Numberless Infinities

**Author's Note:**

> I found this in my drafts from a couple years ago and I honestly have no memory of writing this. It's set in the universe of the J-Drama/the 2016 Death Note TV series (which at this point I also barely remember.) But Ryuk's behavior seems more IC now given his actions in the 2020 one-shot...

Light yelped as hard black talons gripped around his waist and flung him bodily out of the way just as the agent, alias “Raye Penber” pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed harmlessly by, burying itself in the floor a foot away from him and a moment later “Raye” was clutching his chest and crumpling to the ground. Light whirled around to gape at the monster that had thrown him. 

“Ryuk… you… _you saved me?”_

The Shinigami had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Of course he didn’t—he was never Light’s salvation. Nor was he the one to write the agent’s name down. Ryuk was just as surprised by “Raye’s” demise as Light was. And in any case if he had been the one to do it he would be a large pile of ashes right about now. But then… he wasn’t obligated to tell Light anything and Light _actually thought_ he saved him. 

_Ha!_

That was _adorable._

**“So what if I did?”**

Ryuk startled as his human was suddenly _there_ hugging him around the waist burying his tearstained face in his chest “Thank you. _Thank you!_ ”

 **“Er… I…I-I just pushed you out of the way, that’s all!”** Ryuk admitted, feeling some peculiar, twisty feeling that was almost akin to guilt. This Light was so damn _gullible_ and clearly had bad taste in friends—it was sad, really. **“That’s not the same as saving you.”** Ryuk insisted. 

This Light was so different from the first—softer, gentler, kinder, more generous with his apples. 

Honestly, Ryuk wasn’t expecting this one to last very long—all the more reason not to get attached… 

Ryuk just couldn’t understand why this was having such a weird effect on him. 

**“I didn’t save you. I don’t… _It wasn’t your time to die!_ I figured it would be kind of hard for you to get me more apples if you were comatose. That’s all!”**

“But… that’s _twice_ you saved me.”

**“I didn’t…”**

“I _was_ going to jump, you know,” Light softly reminded him and the Shinigami’s already bulging eyes bugged out even further at the realization. 

Ryuk had just been… _disappointed_ when he saw this Light up on the ledge, ready to fling himself to a premature death. That would have just been a hell of a let-down but… it’s not like he talked him down because he _actually cared._ That would be _ridiculous!_

It was this entire world, Ryuk decided. It was so damn _weird._ Familiar tracts and timelines twisted and transmorgrified until they were almost unrecognizable. Old faces mixed with new, and so out of joint, it was actually _unpredictable._ Even for one such as he who had relived it so many times… 

But then, Ryuk, supposed, that that made this world all the more interesting... 

It had happened so slowly over the centuries that Ryuk hadn’t really noticed how _he himself_ had changed. He was much more inclined to be helpful than he was in the beginning. And much more excited to be around one particular human again…

He hadn’t even noticed how he had become so fixated on this one human in particular. 

Light Yagami. 

Light Yagami… who was currently hugging him; absolutely no Kira-face smirking involved. 

It was a strangely enjoyable sensation—to have Light pressing against him. It wasn’t something he’d ever experienced before. But now that he had he didn’t want it to end. Was this why Misa often got so _scary_ when it came to Light? 

_Misa._

Misa must have been the one to kill “Raye.” 

Ryuk didn’t want to share him. 

Not this time. 

Ryuk tentatively wrapped his own arms around the young man in a possessive hold and Light snuggled impossibly closer. 

Light _snuggled_ —that wasn’t something he would have ever expected. Ryuk didn’t think the first Light would ever _snuggle._

Even after all this time Light could still surprise him. 

Light was _so interesting._

And warm. 

And wet…

 _Bad Shinigami!_ Ryuk berated himself, _He’s crying, you idiot! What the hell are you thinking?! Just when did you become such a pervert?_

Well, why _shouldn’t_ he? 

It’s not like he had anything better to do or overly cared about the rules. He wasn’t even supposed to be here… or any of the other places he’d been in recent centuries. 

The King was AWOL as far as Ryuk could tell and had been for countless eons. 

There was no one actually _enforcing_ the rules anymore. The only consequence was crumbling to dust which came naturally when a Shinigami extended a human's lifespan. No one watching above seemed to care about anything else and humans were oh-so-interesting... 

Especially _his Light._

If Light was willing...

Ryuk decided he definitely liked how his human snuggled deeper into his arms… 

The Shinigami startled slightly upon hearing the distant sounds of sirens. 

**“Light… Light? Uh… the cops are coming… Light?! We should really get going …”**

Ryuk glanced down when the young man in his arms remained unresponsive. 

**“You have _got_ to be kidding me…”**

The asshole had _fucking fainted_ in his arms! 

**“What the _hell_ am I doing?”** Ryuk grumbled as he glared down at his human, looking so very _vulnerable._

_Dammit!_ It was like this Light’s softness was a catching disease.

He really should just leave him there. 

That would show him! 

Only… it wouldn’t. Light would just be arrested and Ryuk would have to start the whole thing over again. 

Instead the Shinigami gave a long-suffering sigh and opted to pick his human up bridal-style and fly him home, being careful to fly steadily and, hopefully, out of visible range of the city’s security cameras.

*** 

Light came to with the feeling of the cold night wind hitting his face. 

“R-Ryuk! _What?!_ ” Light shouted to be heard over the rushing wind. 

**“You fainted,”** Ryuk rumbled, not even trying to hide his amusement. 

_“W-what?!”_

**“You _fucking fainted!_ I didn’t think you wanted to be there when the cops showed up.”**

“Where are you taking me?!”

 **“Away,”** Ryuk answered vaguely, **“Someplace safe.”**

He was sorely tempted just then to just… fly away. He’d land them on a nice tropical island somewhere far away from the clutches of any police, detectives, or pop idols… 

“Take me home, Ryuk!”

 **“Are you _sure_ that’s what you want? Things are not going well for you this time are they, Light-chan? ‘Penber’ knows. They’ll _all_ know you're Kira now…”**

Light winced. “At the very least… I have to make sure Sayu is safe.” 

**“She could come with us!”**

“Ryuk… _no!_ ” 

**“Come on, Light. It will be fun!”**

_“Ryuk,”_ Light’s voice held a note of warning that was nostalgically reminiscent of the Original.

 **“Fine, fine! I’m taking you home, kid,”** the Shinigami said gruffly, **“Stop shouting! Hold on tight.”**

Ryuk didn’t have to tell him twice—Light clung to him with all his strength. 

***

“Ryuk… what did you mean by ‘this time?!’” Light asked once they were safely back in his room. 

**“Huh?”**

“Things are not going well for me _this time?_ ” 

**“Oops. _Stupid,_ ”** Ryuk berated himself. Despite how different this Light seemed from the original he should've remembered he wasn't an idiot. **“I guess after living through this so many times… I’m bored. And now you’ve got me saying things I shouldn’t…”** Ryuk sighed, defeated. **“This has happened before. It will happen again.”**

“What will happen?”

 ** _“Spoilers.”_**

“Dammit, Ryuk!” 

Ryuk was determined not to say anymore. That determination lasted up until Light waved an apple in front of his nose and then it dissolved like Rem killing a detective. 

**“Here’s a hint. I am immortal. You’re not. Do you get my drift yet?”**

No matter how many times Light claimed to be a God… that couldn’t and didn't make him one. 

**“I am bored and I… enjoyed our time together or rather… I did. I _do,_ and I will again.”**

“Ryuk?” Light questioned, obviously puzzled. He was sure Light… _Prime_ would have figured it out by now. 

**“I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve done this. I must have sought you out on thousands of worlds...”**

Light sank down onto the edge of his bed. He seemed to be processing the information. 

“Ryuk…?”

**“…Yeah?”**

“Are you… _in love_ with me?”

The Shinigami began choking on his apple. 

_**“W-what?!”**_

“You’ve looked for me on _countless worlds…_ just to hang out with me?” 

Ryuk laughed bitterly. **“You know what? So what if I am? What difference does it make? You’ll die. Like you always do. Just like all the others…”**

Something liquid that looked suspiciously like blood fell from his eyes. 

“Ryuk, are you... _crying?_ ” 

**_“Shut up!”_**

“And you keep calling _me_ soft,” Light huffed. 

**“I always have to be the one to do it, you know… to kill you—every time.”**

Light paled at first but then seemed to collect himself. 

“You said that when we first met,” his young man said, nodding in agreement, “I accepted that. You’d kill me when it’s my time to die so… I guess that means… no matter what happens… you’ll always be there for me?” 

Ryuk could only stare in exasperation as Light gave him a cheeky grin and then offered him another apple. 

Poor naïve _foolish_ boy. 

He’d be better off having never known him.

Ryuk had messed up his life on countless worlds. 

And yet he couldn’t stay away. 

Across realities they seemed drawn to each other, or Light seemed drawn to his Death Note like a moth to a flame—though Ryuk was beginning to truly wonder which one of them was the moth—because this couldn’t continue. Sooner or later in one of these worlds he was going to slip up and start caring… 

It was happening already. 

**“ _Always,_ Light. I’ll be with you until the very end.”**


End file.
